As a huge fan of both Shane Black and the Predator franchise, I was eagerly anticipating the release of “The Predator”. Unfortunately, I was left severely disappointed by this latest installment.
While the film does acknowledge the previous Predator films and is not a reboot, it fails to deliver in every other aspect. The plot centers around a young boy who triggers the return of the Predators to Earth and a team of soldiers who fight against them.
The problem with the film is that the characters are never really developed, so it’s hard to get attached to them or care about their plight. Instead, the film is obsessed with quips and one-liners, which quickly become tiresome. The lack of suspense is also a major issue. While there is one suspenseful scene, the rest of the film feels like a CGI-filled comedy rather than a thriller.
The acting is solid and the Predator’s costume is fantastic, but that’s about the only positive aspects of the film. The decision to use Henry Jackman’s music instead of Alan Silvestri’s themes from the previous Predator films is confusing. And the film just doesn’t have a cohesive narrative; it feels like scenes have been cut, reshot, or altered, resulting in a disjointed and unnatural flow of events.
The final few minutes of the film left me in complete disbelief at just how much of a disaster it was. I found myself actually liking the Alien vs Predator films more than “The Predator”, which is a sad commentary on the state of this franchise.
In conclusion, “The Predator” is a film that fails to live up to its potential. As a huge fan of both Shane Black and the Predator franchise, I was greatly disappointed by this latest installment. With unlimited resources and all the talent involved, it’s mind-boggling that this is what Shane Black came up with. It’s easily the worst Predator movie, excluding the AVP films, and one that I wouldn’t recommend to fellow fans of the franchise.
